Politician Winston Churchill has been quoted as saying that there are two things that scare any young man. One, asking a beautiful woman out on a date. Two, giving a public speech.

What would Mr. Churchill have said about North Korean refugees speaking out despite threats from a despotic regime?

You may not remember it, but on August 22, 2015, North Korea had threatened to shoot loudspeakers in the DMZ if South Korea didn't turn them off by 5 pm, the same day as our second speech contest. In February 2017, the assassination of the half-brother of dictator Kim Jong-Un alarmed participants and attendees of our fifth contest.

Last month, shortly before our sixth contest, it was the return of a refugee to North Korea who had become a minor celebrity in South Korea. There were questions about whether she had returned willingly or been kidnapped, but as I like to point out, all refugee interactions with the North Korean regime are hostage situations.Refugees were concerned as the returneebegan highlighting refugees in propaganda videos.

This came after reports that North Korea was (1) threatening families if their family members didn't return to the North Korea and (2) promising to treat refugees with kindness if they returned voluntarily.

Last month, shortly before our sixth contest, it was the return of a refugee to North Korea who had become a minor celebrity in South Korea. There were questions about whether she had returned willingly or been kidnapped, but as I like to point out, all refugee interactions with the North Korean regime are hostage situations. Refugees were concerned as the returnee began highlighting refugees in propaganda videos.

One refugee who had been planning to give her first speech in English, at an academic conference abroad, withdrew from that and we haven't seen her since then. Her family back in North Korea has been pressuring her to return.

Some refugees, again, expressed concern about participating in group sessions with other refugees. Some of our volunteers don't understand this, they think it is great to introduce refugees to other refugees, to have group classes, or to name refugees around others, but we warn against it. It isn't difficult for refugees to find other refugees, if they so choose. We provide a safe-zone for refugees who wish to study anonymously as well as opportunities for those who want to speak out.

Once we began the contest last month, it was easy to forget the most recent drama from North Korea. As I said in my introduction at the contest, it is not just a contest, but a celebration of the speakers having the courage to speak out and having the freedom to do so. In North Korea, they could not probe the different themes that we have proposed.

The latest contest theme, "A Woman is a Flower: The Lives of North Korean Women," was inspired by a well-known song in North Korea that praises women. The reality of women in North Korea is quite different from the song, as they are abused there and then have guns pointed at their backs after they escape to China. The seven contestants (five females, two males) presented seven different perspectives, proving again that North Korean refugees are not a monolith.

The judges had the toughest job of all, deciding which contestants would be announced as winners at the contest sponsored by the Korea Times and the law firm of Shin and Kim. I truly consider them all to be winners (no apologies for using such a cliché). Keiko Bang, one of the coaches, said, "Everyone of you is a star, you did so much just to be here." As I told the audience: "We should applaud their speeches even if they fall off the stage."

The refugees studied for about two months with volunteer coaches. Their speeches were not as newsworthy as idiotic trash that get clicks on Websites, but it was an informative and touching event for the 90 people in the room that day.

One of the refugees said later it was a day that she would "never forget. I was able to share something that was deep inside of me but there was never an appropriate time for me to do so."

The refugees gave speeches in their second and sometimes third languages, which should have been a third thing Mr. Churchill should have mentioned. I can say with certainty that I will never give a public speech in Korean and would skip ever entering a Korean speech contest, unless I could choose the other contestants.